Improved car-coupling



J. B.- VAN DEUS'ENTI- Car Coupling.

- Patented Mar. 4. 1862.

lnventon UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIcE.

J. B. VAN DEUSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,604, dated March 4,1862.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known'that I, J. B. VAN DEUSEN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectionof my invention, taken in the line 00 as, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a longitudinalcentral section of the same, taken in the line 1 1 Fig. 3; Fig. 3, atransverse section of same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate correponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in having a shackle provided with spiral flangesat its ends and using in connection therewith draw-heads having spiralor screw-shaped openings to receive the spiral flanges of the shackle,the flanges and the openings having such a relative position with eachother that the flange at one end of the shackle, which is one drawhead,is allowed when two draw-heads approach each other to enter the spiralopenings in the empty draw-head and lock itself therein, the shacklebeing secured or held in the draw-head by having its inner end fit in anotch orrecess in a plate in the back part of the draw-head frame.

The object of the invention is to obtain a simple self -acting orself-locking car-coupling, which may be readily disconnected without thenecessity of the operator passing between the cars.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A A represent two draw-heads, which are attached to frames B B, thelatter being secured to proper bumper-frames, which may be arranged inthe usual way. The drawheads A A may be of circular or an approximateform, and eachhas an opening 0 made in it of spiral or screw form, saidopenings extending entirely through the draw-heads.

D is a shackle, which is of cylindrical form and is provided at each endwith a spiral,

is self-locking, the flanges a catching behind the draw-heads A.

In order to disconnect the shackle D, all that is required is to turnthe shackle until either of its flanges comes in line with the opening 0in its draw-head A.

The frames B have each a plate I) attached. In these back platescircular notches or recesses c are made to receix e the ends of theshackle and hold the same when in one drawhead only in a horizontal orapproximate position, so that it may pass into the draw-head of anapproachingcar. This will be fully understood by referring to Fig. 2. Bythis arrangement all springs hitherto used-for the purpose are avoided,and it will be seen that the back plates I) serve as bearings for theends of the shackle.

The device as a whole is extremely simple, and may be cheaplyconstructed and readily applied to cars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The shackle D, provided with the spiral flanges a a, in combination.with the drawheads A A, having spiral openings 0 C, ar-' rangedrelatively with the flanges a a of the draw-heads, to operate as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In connection with the shackle D and draw-heads AA, the back platesI), attached to the frames D, and provided with the recesses or notchesc, for the purpose of holding or sustaining the shackle, as set forth.

J. B. VAN DEUSEN.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, J. W. CooMBs. g

